Thoughts from the Clouds 2017 EditionTrevor SmythHello world! We are now well into 2017! Congrats to all of us for making it this far! Here are my seven thoughts from the clouds, enjoy!​1. Ewing effect (the idea that a team will play better without their star player. RE: grantland.com/features/the-ewing-theory/) will officially change to Boogie effect at the end of this year. DeMarcus Cousins is straight up not a very good human. I’ve seen it first hand, in a behind the scenes workout at Summer league this past July-- we talk about it in the POD if you would like to hear more about what went down. I do not think the Pels will make the playoffs--their guard rotation is probably among the worst in the league. And to complete the Boogie effect the Sacramento Kings will finish with a better record than the New Orleans Pelicans. Mark it down.

2. Very early prediction for where Lonzo Ball ends up: THE Minnesota Timberwolves! I think Minny deals Lavine and Rubio in the offseason to move up in the draft or maybe they get lucky with the lottery and land the 1st or 2nd pick! Either way, they find a way to get LONZO! Lonzo Ball wins ROY, MINNY is the 7th seed, and the three-headed monster of Lonzo, Wiggs, and KAT is created! Watch out NBA, the T-Wolves are howling!

3. The All Star game and All Star Saturday Night was a dud. I trust Adam Silver will make some adjustments to make it a better show next year. We can’t always have a magical All Star Saturday Night like we did in 2016. Re: Lavine v Gordon dunk contest & Curry v Klay 3PT contest -- special night!

4. Which coach will land the 8th seed in the west? Mike Malone, Dave Joerger, Alvin Gentry, Terry Porter, or Rick Carlise? I honestly think it will come down to coaching. It’s going to be a dog fight for the 8th seed and my gut tells me to trust a gritty coach that also has a solid home-court advantage. Thus, I am going with Mike Malone's Denver Nuggets. They currently occupy the 8th seed at the moment and I say they hold on and maintain for the rest of the year. Good Luck, Mike!

5. I’d like to give a shout out to Briante Weber! Great job with the dubs! He worked hard, fit fit in well with the guys, and will definitely earn himself a full year contract very soon. Best of luck in Charlotte, Briante!

6. It is well-documented that Klay Thompson’s career 3PT shooting percentage is .420 for his career. I am very confident that 10 years from now that number will still be .420. Keep doing you, Klay.

7. Lastly, I want to give a shout out to the Bruins. They were my pick in December to win the National Championship! And I’m sticking to it. Their offense is the best in the country and the defense has improved and will continue to improve into March. Go Bruins! Go Lonzo! Let’s goooo!